It was not long before the carriage stopped at Tea Tasting Residence, the largest tea house in Shanshi County. This place was not just for tea tasting—there were women singing softly to the strumming of their pipas, thus it was a popular gathering place for wealthy lords and young masters.
Standing at the entrance, Li Fuyou’s gaze was icy. He snorted, remembering a time when everyone curried favor with him; now they avoided him like the plague, not bothering to keep their appointments.
Since no one was keeping their appointments, he had to take matters into his own hands and show up in person.
He also wanted to try his luck to see if he could find someone interested in buying Dongfeng Restaurant.
Inside Tea Tasting Residence, due to the presence of women singing with pipas, all the customers congregated in the main hall. Being business folks, they found much in common to discuss.
They listened to the songs while engaging in casual conversation.
A plump, wealthy lord suddenly spoke, "Lord Zhou, has the Li Family sent you a message? They are planning to sell Dongfeng Restaurant in town."
The questioned Lord Zhou stroked his beard and replied, "Yes, they’ve sent a message."
"So, do you plan to buy it? Your family is also in the restaurant business," the plump lord inquired.
Lord Zhou frowned and shook his head, "Ah, currently, Yuelai Restaurant completely dominates Shanshi County, and my own restaurant is barely surviving. How could I think of buying another restaurant?" He paused and continued, "Moreover, Dongfeng Restaurant’s reputation has declined severely, and its proximity to Yuelai Restaurant doesn’t help. It’s probably no longer viable as a restaurant."
The plump lord nodded, "You make sense; taking over Dongfeng Restaurant and continuing it as a restaurant is indeed not feasible."
"Yes, and I’m not familiar with other trades. Otherwise, with its current low price, transforming it into something else might work. Right, Lord Zhao, you could buy it and expand your Silver Pavilion," the plump lord suggested.
Upon hearing Lord Zhou’s words, Lord Zhao pondered internally; this was an opportunity to expand his Silver Pavilion.
Li Fuyou, who had just entered, overheard their conversation. His lips curled into a slight smile, seeing a glimmer of hope so soon in finding a suitable candidate.
He approached them, "Lord Zhao, I am Li Fuyou, the owner of Dongfeng Restaurant. I think Lord Zhou’s suggestion is excellent. May we discuss this in detail at the table over there?"
Lord Zhao looked at Li Fuyou, calculations running through his mind, and then followed him to the adjacent table.
"Lord Zhao, the location of Dongfeng Restaurant is bustling even by town standards. Turning it into a Silver Pavilion would definitely be a sound choice," Li Fuyou stated.
"However, Dongfeng Restaurant’s reputation is already tarnished. It might be difficult to succeed in another venture, and remember, business relies heavily on good feng shui," Lord Zhao countered.
"Lord Zhao, the feng shui of Dongfeng Restaurant is undoubtedly excellent; otherwise, it wouldn’t have prospered for so long. It was merely due to betrayal that I find myself forced to sell," Li Fuyou asserted.
Seeing Lord Zhao still silent and contemplating, Li Fuyou pressed on, "Lord Zhao, since we’ve encountered each other here, it must be fate. I’ve only just released the news, not many know yet. If you decide now, it’s a steal. If we wait a few days until everyone knows and has thought it over, I fear that..."
Lord Zhao was indeed considering. Their Silver Pavilion was not the biggest in the county and they hadn’t expanded to the town yet. If they secured Dongfeng Restaurant now and converted it into the Silver Pavilion, opening simultaneously in all seven towns, their reputation would certainly improve.